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Business Reporter

MORE than 300 delegates, led by ministers and their representatives from 21 member states are in Lusaka, Zambia today for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) 25th anniversary celebrations. The celebrations are hosted alongside the annual Comesa policy organs meetings.

The culmination of the Comesa Silver Jubilee anniversary will be the 40th Council of Ministers meeting, which will take place tomorrow, Friday, 29 November 2019. The ministers will review and approve the Comesa work programme and budget for 2020. Comesa was established in 1994 to succeed the Preferential Trade Area (PTA).

Comesa head of corporate communications, Mr Mwangi Gakunga, said key activities lined-up includes a high-level panel discussion that will reflect on the past and the future of Comesa. Immediate former deputy chair of the African Union Mr Erastus Mwencha, who is also a former secretary general of Comesa will be among panelists.

During discussion Burundi is expected to present its instrument of ratification of the Tripartite Free Trade Area agreement, which brings Comesa, East African Community, and Southern Africa Community into a cooperative framework. This will bring to six the number of countries that have so far ratified the agreement.

Two new transformative innovations that provides solutions to contemporary challenges, will be recognized and awarded during the ceremony. The innovations were identified under the Comesa innovation award scheme, which focuses on new products, new methods of production and new ways of improving technology.